Christmas Present for PMSC

Santa sent a present to the club. It's 24 lbs of ballast in the form of Kennedy half dollars.

He had to send it in 2 packages. Here are the notes he sent along with them.

Thank you Santa!

Overseas report

Many of you know Roy Bourgeois, our friend from MITSA and GBSC, who has done many favors for our club, including lending us a glider way back when.

Roy has trouble getting out of instructor duty, so for the past nine Novembers, he has escaped his club and taken a trip to South Africa, where the soaring season is just getting started. Every year he creates a blog-style document for the folks back home. His flying, his adventures, and his writing have improved steadily over this period.

You really should take half an hour and read this year's report.

This is what our sport is all about.

Hint: The web page is large and takes a long time to load.  Be patient.  The beginning is at the bottom.

Disassembly day

In the fine tradition of the Post Mills Soaring Club a large number of volunteers, consisting of both active and inactive members, showed up at the field to take gliders apart, move trailers, and hangar the towplane.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the field:

and also to those who were there but didn't make it into the picture.  The volunteer-of-the-week award goes to Bill Swartz, who drove all the way from Portland, Maine to be a part of the crew.  The only member who lives farther away is Tony, whom we expect to show up next year.

The tiedown area at Post Mills is looking bare again.  It's time to look forward to flying at Springfield, skiflying, and breakfasts!

Weekend report November 22 - 23

Christopher writes:

We came, we flew, we winterized.

Tim flew his new PIK-20D (AT) in good lift, Greg & Mark ventured out in the Blanik to 5 grand, and Dennis dragooned Christopher into the backseat for another Blanik adventure, with snow falling sideways as he maintained plus numbers.  3K tow with scenes of the late Fall countryside from 4,400 feet, sustaining on workable if weak lift for an hour as the ceiling and snow came down to 3,000 feet, bringing them home early.

Ben and Ben's father (some call him Steve) came by just too late for Ben to get his 5th flight of the season. (Come back in December when the lines for a glider are shorter) [Editor's note: that trick might work, but only until December 16].

Someone needs to put in a PMSC requisition for an ice scraper to keep the canopy clean for late Fall soaring.  There's still time.

Three flights, with Andy towing, just enough interruptions as he was cobbling his Champ engine back to workable Winter form.

A pair of club records

Congratulations to Karl Strassberger for passing his Private Pilot checkride on Wednesday, a day on which two club records were set!

Once again, our indefatigable Designated Examiner, Bill Stinson, made the trip to Post Mills to administer the test. Andy was the towpilot this time. It isn't clear whether there was anyone else there that day, such as someone who knows how to take a photograph.

This sets the calendar record for the latest flight test in our club's history (November 20). Thanks go to Tim, Greg, Dennis, Karl, and Andy for arranging to extend our flying season and for keeping the towplane operational.

The other club record is for the lowest-resolution photo of a member's accomplishment ever taken.

Source

PM at FL160

PM at 16,000' over Mount Washington yesterday.  Photo ship was N331BA piloted by Dan.  Photograph by Greg.  Earlier in the week Pete took PM over 24,000' to earn his altitude diamond. - Tim

Don't let this happen to you - XI

On the Way to Gorham

Last Friday, on the way to Gorham, Rick and Tim (ferrying the towplane and L-23) stopped in Franconia to help Mark with his first flight in his Discus.  Mark took a high tow and made a beautiful landing about 45 minutes later.  On Saturday Mark made a 3 hour flight in his Discus.  Judging from his smile on both days, I think he is hooked! - Tim

OLC Summary

We flew over 7 billion inches this season.

Next year, let's go for a trillion.

First solo for Henry

Congratulations to Henry Swayze on his first solo today!  Here's a picture of Thomas and Henry just after Henry landed, and just before sunset.  Thomas and Henry both left work at the last minute in order to make this happen.  One less pre-solo student for Thomas. Yay!

Happy Birthday, Sue!

Weekend report September 28 - 29

We had two beautiful soaring days with light winds and decent lift to 4500 feet both days.

The weekend started early with an organized effort to wash and polish the Blanik.  Andy, Lane, Henry, Dakai, Dennis, Karl, Greg did most of the work.  (I may have missed someone.  I just showed up long enough to take this picture; I didn't do any work at all).

Karl flew for 2.5 hours in 3J, without a flight recorder, and Andy made a pair of Blanik flights for an hour each, with the help of Tim and Dennis.  Evan, Greg (JD), and Dan (EA) chased the clouds to the west and made a modest tour up to Washington and down just past Lebanon.

On Sunday, we made 18 more flights, with Keith towing all but one (Keith made 31 tows this weekend, and Thomas did a dozen instructional flights.  Thanks, guys.)  Skip (JS) flew for an hour and a half,  Dan (EA, EA) flew twice, and Greg (JD) had some low-save practice in the middle of a three hour flight.

And welcome back, Christopher! You showed up just in time to fix the golf cart. Again.